Raising animals takes work and money. Among the many other tasks required to raise animal are purchasing animals, transporting them, feeding them, watering them, and ensuring they receive proper veterinary care. Land, labor, energy, and supporting structures are all required.
As noted, animals must be feed. The production of food for either animals or humans is a time consuming, energy intensive activity. Large areas of land must be cultivated and in modern society that requires heavy use of machinery and money. As fuel costs, land costs, seed costs, and labor costs increase so does the price of food. Many animals feed on hay or similar fodder. Over the last few years the price of hay and hay alternatives has gone up rather dramatically. Furthermore, the end of cost increases is not in anticipated any time soon. Thus the cost of hay is anticipated to keep climbing.
Animal raisers are caught in a bind. They need hay but the cost of hay is increasing. But animals need to be properly fed, not too much, but enough. If left to themselves animals waste a lot of feed. Such waste drives up production costs. Furthermore, many animals simply don't like to bend down to obtain food. More marketable animals result if food is presented to them at the proper height.
In view of the foregoing an animal feeding device that feeds hay or hay substitutes to animals with reduced waste would be advantageous. Beneficially such an animal feeding device would present feed to the animals at the proper height for consumption. Preferably such a device would be rugged, simple to use, and last for a long time even in the rough environment of an animal pen. Ideally such an animal feeding device would automatically adjust itself as required to provide feed to animals with reduced waste.